Door-operating device.



1) s. BARHOWS. DOOR OPERATING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1911.

v Patented Nov: 11, 1913.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNITED STATES Peter -r icn.

DONALD s; BARRows, or PATERSON, NEW JEasErnssmNoR TO AMERICAN can Ann FOUNDRY COMPANY, or ST. LOUIS, MIssoUR-I. A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DOCK-OPERATING DEVICE.

. Specification of Letters fatent.

I I Patented Nov. l" t, HHS.

- Application-filed July 6, 1911. Serial No- 627,205.

others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make' and to'use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention. though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifi ations thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawin s: F ure 1 is a transverse vertical view through approxin'iately onehalf of. a car underframe illustrating a discharge door in the floor ther eiif, and the mechanism comprising this invention applied thereto for operating said door. Fig. 2 is a vertical detail section vietv illustrating the manner in which doors dis 'iosed sides of one of the cross heurers of the underframe are connected and operated by the-elements comprising the invention) Fig.3 is a' detail sectional" view illustrating a modification. I

The object of this invention is to provide a simple, etiicient and positive means for operating the discharge doors in the floors of railway cars.

.A further object is to arrange the door operating mechanism in such manner as to be entirely protected from all possible injury when the doors are opened and the material of the lading is being dumped.

It will be understood that there may he any desired number of doors throughout the lengthof the car, and upon opposite sides of the median line thereof, as illustrated in the drawings or disposed to swing upon hinges arranged transversely of the car as may he desired, and that each of said doors is pivotally supported by the frame work of the car, all of which is common In theconsti'uction ot cars to \.li1(fl1 this invention is applicable. it will also be understood that the elements compr sing this invention, when used 111 cars having longitudinally disposed doors, are duplicated, at each of iastened at ea h end.

the cross l iearers 'and uponfcppodtr of the. center sills.

, Referrin to the drawing 1 of the center sills, 2 one ot the side :ill- :zini 3 one of the cross bearers. all of whi h are well known as rigid members of the rut structure. The door tis pivotally mounted in a. suitable bracket 5 fixed as shown. to one of the center sills l' and extends from indi ate t insaid center sill toward the outer llit. ol' the 1 car and underlaps a portion of the sidesill 2,- tli'i'ugh it will he understood that the doo'rntay equally well be hinged upon any transverse member of the underfraine. as a cross bearer if desired. In the structure illustrated, an operatingshaft t3 (Xltli l.-. lengthwise through the cross hearers and is rotatably mounted in suitable hearings T fixed to said cross bearers near the center sills. The cross bearer Z5 is formed oi a single sheet of metal bent to form a U- shape. though the cross hearers i the car may he. of any desired f rm which will pr vide spaced \vulls ash and f hetneeii which the principal mechanism of this inventi n may he disposed. l ixedito the shaft, (5. he-

wheels as U) ttlltl 'll. the wheel ll) being somewhat smaller in diameter than the wheel 11. An idler wheel 12 is supported in a suitahle hrucket 13, between the walls 8 and fl, t a. point relatively near the order side ol'r the car and in ,a horizontal. plane above the operating shaft. The idler 12 may as well he supported on a pin l2 passing through the contiguous diaphragnis S and f it tltr.ll.tl as .--ll l\\'ll in l lflf. 3 thus dispensing with the bra ket 13. thain ll extends from the lug. I on the periphery of wheel ll) to the lifting hut l8. being securely thuin l-li extends from the bar 15 ar und the idler lziiiience ar und the larger wheel ll and to the lug ll' on the periphenv oi" the wheel ll whence it is secured. (.Yoincident irregular slots-l7 are formed in each of the walls 8 and $.l,' and the lili'ting bar 18 is extended through said slots. bridging the space between the walls,-

and extending beyond 'the 'outer faces of into pivotal engagementwi'th the, doors &1

gas bestseen in Fig. 2. Suitable castings to ell'ect such a variation of the relative shaft 6 in a eontra-elockwise direction (Fig.

the slot 17., away from the straight line 1T-17 are fixed to the walls 8 and 9 for reinforcing said walls and for providing a relatively broad bearing surface for the lifting bar 18. The chains 14: and 14; are ivotally connected as at 21 to the intermediate portion of the liftlng bar for moving said liar bodily along the slot-l7. The slot 17 is arranged with upper and lower horizontal portions and an intermediate oblique portion inclined slightly, toward the outer side of the car, at its upper end. The lower portion of the slot is extended toward the renter'sill, the extreme end thereof serving as an abutment a'gainst'i'vhich the lifting bar 18 is'adapted to rest for-supporting the. door in open position. The upper portion of the slot is extended awayfrom-the oblique portion and the bottom wall thereof serves as a. positive support for the lifting bar 18 when the doors are in closed position, thus serving as a support for the doors through the links 19 for locking the doors in such position.

It will be observed that when the 'door is closed and locked and the lifting bar 18 is in engagement with the bottom wallv ofv the horizontal portion at the upper end of the slot 17, said lifting bar issubstan tially in the plane of a line drawn tangent to the under sides of the chain wheels. 10 and, 11 and the idler 12 so that the chain 14, connected to said lifting bar is extended practically in a straight line from the periphery of the wheel 10 to the periphery of the idler 12, but when the door isopen, the lifting bar 18 is considerably below the plane of such a line so that the chain 14. can no longer extend in a contimious straight'line but is dipped or bent downwardly necessitating a somewhat greater freelengt-li of chain-from the pulley 1]! over idler 12 to the bar 18 than when the lifting bar is in.'lockiug position. In order length of the free portion of'tho chain, one ot'its end portions is wound approximatel one revolution on the large. chain wlpeel 1 As the lifting bar mores downwardl along ret'erred to, the. chain 1-1, unwinding from the larger wheel 11, produt es a lengthening of the free portion of the chain, which term tree portion indicates that portion of the chain not directly engaged upon the chain wheel ll-or idler 12. i

' lu -operation:assuming the door to vbe gaging the lower end of the slot. l7 and suport1ug said door, rotation of the operating 1) will draw' upon the upper lead of the chain and through the idler 12. will draw the lilting har lirst along the lower horizontally disposed portion of the slot, thence ing shaft will draw on the lower lead of the chain 14 and pull the lifting bar into In opening the door, rotation of the operat- 4 the oblique portion of the slot, continued rotation, of the operating shaft permitting the door to fall by gravity to its open position, where the bar '18 willrest in the inner end of the bottom horizontal portion of said slot and be supported thereby.

iVhat I claim is:

1. In a door operating device, the combination comprising a car frame,-a door, an operating shaft, a guide formedon said car frame, a lifting link, one end of which engages said door said link being ada ted to travel on said guide, a pair; of c ain wheels fixed to said operating shaft, ands. chain engaging said wheels and being co'nr;

nested; for moving said lifting linkfi i 2. In a door operating device, the combis.

nation comprising a car frame, a door m. operating shaft, 'a guide formed on'sa-ld? car frame, a lifting link engaging said (1001', and adapted to be directed by said guide',-'a pair of chain wheels fixedto said 0 crating shaft,- a chain fixed by one of its on s to one of said wheels and having its other end wound upon and fixed to the other of said wheels. i 4

3. In a door operating device, the combination comprising a car frame,"-a door, an

operating shaft, a guide formed on said car frame, a lifting link engaging said door, and

adapted to b directed by said guide, a pair of chain wheels fixed to said'operating shaft :1 chain fixed by one of its ends to one 0 said wheels and having its other end wound and fixed to the other of said wheels,

, said chain being connected intermediate its .(nds fOI moving. said jlifting link along said I 4. In a door operating device, the combis nationpomprising a car frame, a door, an operating shaft, a guide formedo'n said car frame, a. lifting link engaging said door and having one of its ends adapted to 'be directed by said guide, a air of chain wheels of different diameters xed to said operat-' mg shaft, a chain fixed by one of its ends 1 to the smaller of said wheels and having its other end fixedto the larger of said wheels and being connected intermediate its ends for movmg said lifting link, along said guide.

"o. In a door operating device, the combinationicomprising a car frame, a doorfdn opera ting-shaft, a guide formed on said car frame, a lifting link engaging said door and having one of its ends positionnnd means for providing additional free length of chain as said lifting link is moved toward one end of said guide. 6. in a door operating dev'ce, the combination'comprising a car frame, a. door, an

- operating shaft, a guide'formed on said car 2a; lifting link along said guide,

one end of said guide beingframe, a lifting link engaging said door and having one of its ends adapted to be directed by said guide, a pairof chain Wheels fixed to said operating shaft, one of its ends to one of said wheels and having its for moving said nected intermediate its ends an idler Wheel 'for said chain, removed from a direct line extending between said chain Wheels and said idler.

7. in a door operating device, the combination comprising a car frame, a door, an operating shaft, a guide. formed on aid car frame, a lifting link engaging saiddoor and having one of its ends adapted to he directed by'said guide, a pair of to said operating shaft, a chain fixed by one of its ends to one of said wheels and having its other end Wound upon and fixed to the other of said wheels and being connected intermediate its ends for moving said lifting link along said guide, an idler wheel for said chain, one end of said guide being removed from a direct line extending between said chain wheels and said idler, and said chain wheels being adapted to provide additional free length moved toward guide.

8. in a door "operating device, the comthe removed end of said binution COlll arisuu H CEII fltlflle. (100! an c: a 50 operating shaft, a guide formed on said car frame, a lifting link engaging said door and having one of its ends adapted to be directed by said guide, a pair of chain wheels fixed to said operating shaft, a chain engaging said wheels and being connected for moving said lifting link, an idler wheel for said chain, one end of-said guide being removed from the path of a direct line be tween said chain wheelsand said idler, and.

said chain wheels being adapted to vary the free len h o'f'said chain as said lifting link is move along said guide.

9. In a door operatingdevice, the combination with a car frame comprising a cross adapted to be directed operatin 'shaft :1 guide a chain fixed by b other end wound uponand-ii-sed' to the other-of said wheels and being con chain Wheels fixed of chain'as said lifting link is bearer, of a pair of dumping doors disposed upon opposite sides vof said cross bearerfmeans extending through said cross bearer and linked to said doors, and'mechanism within said cross bearer engaging said last mentioned means for operating said doors.

I 1 in a door operating device, the combination with a car frame comprising a cross bearer, of a-pair o'f'dumping' doors. disposed npon opposite sides of said cross bearer,

means extending through said cross ban-er andwlinked to said doors, and chain 0pc aie'd mechanism withinsaid cross bearer engay ing saidlast mentioned means for operating said doors. I1, In-a'door ope ating device, the combi- I nation comprisinga car frame, a door, jan formed on said frame, a .lifting-linlnhaving itsopposite' ends ,engagingsaid door and guide, apair or chain ,avheels on said'sl1aft,-'.and a chain operable thereby, said chain being connected YJltll said lin-ll.

2. In a door operating device, thecom bination comprising ,a car frame, a door, a shaft inohntedin fixed position, and an idler, both below said door, lGCliClKHlllflilS for said door and a chain controlled by said shaft and idler adapted to control said locking means.

13. In a flush bottoin car, the combination comprising a door, an operating shaft mounted in fixed position, a fixed idler -a member having an angled slot therein'extending relatively betivccnsuid' shaft and said idler and chain operated means guided by said slotted. member adapted to close said c r- 4 ii. In a fiush bottom car, a door operating mechanism comprising doors, an operating shaft, supports for the doors connect ed thereto and with said shaft and a shaft support provided with a relatively Z-shaped slot formed therein. r

15. In a flush bottom car, adoor operating mechanism comprising doors, anop'e'rating shaft, a shaft support provided with a relatively Z 'shaped slot fo'rmedthercin, means slidable in said slot and door supporting links connecting said slidable means and said doors.

16. In a flush-bottom car,a door operating members and means connecting said lifting uneans and said doors.

18. In a flushbottom car, the combination with a drop bottom door and a support therefor, of anopera'ting shaft'mounted in fixed position, a member supporting said .sl aft and provided with an angled slot therein, a portion of which slot is inclined,

an inclined portion adapted to serve as a, guide for said pivoted member.

20. In a dum ing car, a'slotted cross-' bealfir, a-lifting Ear extending through and movable longitudinally of the slot in said cross-bearer, a shaft rotatable in fixed osition, actuating means connectin said 8 aft 25- and said lifting bar, doors, an links connecting said doors positively with said bar on oppo'site sides 0 the cross-bearer in the near vicinity of said cross-bearer.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set 0 my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

, DONALD S. BARROWS Witnesses:

G. V. WASHINGTON, A. KASSLER. 

